Deck lid lock



June 8, 1954 VIGMOSTAD 2,680,639

DECK LID LOCK Filed June 22, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 77jjl j lj/rfas fad June 8, 1954 Filed June 22} 1951 T. VIGMOSTAD 2,680,639

DECK LID LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR. 7;";g J 6 BY F TdF/VEK Patented June 8, 1954 DECK LID LOCK Trygve Vigmostad, Detroit, Mich., assignor' to Briggs Manufacturing 00., Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Michigan Application June 22, 1951, Serial No. 232,930

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a self-latching latch mechanism of the type which is particularly adapted for latching a vehicle rear deck lid in closed position to the vehicle body.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved latch mechanism for a swinging closure, such as an automobile rear deck lid, including a latch member and an operating member therefor, said members being connected or coupled together and preferably pivotally mounted on a suitable support carried by the lid, the operating member having a projecting portion adapted, upon closing the lid, to engage a fixed keeper or striker member on the body and to be pivotally actuated thereby, whereupon the operating member will swing the latch member into latching position with respect to the keeper or striker member. In accordance with other features of the invention as illustrated in the pres.-

ent embodiment, the latch member is preferably in the form of a lever pivoted to the support intermediate its ends to provide a lever arm formed with a latching portion engageable with the keeper or striker member to hold the lid in latched position when closed, said lever also having a second lever arm engageable by detent means for holding the lever or latch member in lid latched position, outer manually operable means being provided for disengaging said detent means from the latch member whereupon spring means, preferably associated with the operating memher will urge the latter into position to disengage the latch member from the striker or keeper to permit the lid to be opened.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved latch mechanism of the foregoing nature wherein the latch operating member is pivoted on the support in spaced relation to the, pivotal mounting of the latch member or lever, said members being arranged to swing in parallel planes with the operating member extending across the, latch member and connected to a lever arm thereon so as to be effective to swing the latch member or lever into and out of latching engagement with the keeper, the construction, and relation of the latch member and keeper being such that the latch portion on the latch member will move into, and out of position beneath the keeper to hold the lid in closed position.

A further object is to provide pivoted spring urged detent means for. holding the latch memher or lever in lid latching position, the. improved construction being such that the detent means may be disengaged or released from the lever 2 with a minimum of effort, such as through the medium. of a push button on the outside of the lid.

Still another objectis to provide such a latch mechanism in combination with spring means yieldingly urging the lid or closure from closedposition and being tensioned to spring the lid or closure at least partially open when the latch member is released for pivotal movement from latching position.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts of the several views.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view with portions broken away showing an automobile body and swinging rear deck lid mounted and latched in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the deck lid in the closed position, showing the latch mechanism in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the lid partially open and the latch mechanism in unlatched position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the broken line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology of terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to. the drawings, an automobile body A is illustrated by way of example in Fig. 1 to show a rear deck lid B hinged thereon by suitable spring actuated hinge means C for. swinging to and from closed, position with respect to the body. In the present instance, the hinge means 0 includes a pair of torsion springs D cooperating to spring the lid B atv least partially open when the lid is unlatched, as. discussed below. Any customary spring actuated hinge means suit,- able for this purpose may be employed, so that the hinge device C',,D is not discussed in further detail herein.

The deck. lid B comprises in the present in-- stance inner and outer panels and II spaced at their lower portions by a bottom flange l2 of the panel it which joins the lower edge of the panel H to form the usual overlap flange 13. The latter overlaps and abuts a cushioning strip it retained in a channel flange portion formed at the edge of an outer body panel I6 and extending at least along the lower edge of the rear deck opening. The channel I5 is reinforced by an inner body panel H, to which a keeper bracket i8 is secured by bolts l9. The bracket l8 in the present instance is provided with a forwardly inclined keeper or latch engaging portion 29.

The latch mechanism illustrating one embodiment of the present invention comprises a support or plate 2! extending in a longitudinal vertical plane and having an integral transverse base or forward mounting flange 22, Fig. 4, secured to the inner deck lid panel ill by bolts 23. The upper rear edge of the plate 2| is provided with a transverse guide flange 24 substantially parallel to the outer panel II and spaced therefrom and apertured for passage of the forward end of a slidable plunger 25, Figs. 2 and 3. The latter extends rearward through the flange 24 coaxially into a cylindrical lock housing 26, and is suitably connected with a plunger type key controlled tumbler housing 21 slidable axially within the housing 26.

The lock structure illustrated in Figs, 2 and 3 may be conventional if desired and is accordingly discussed only briefly herein. The cylinder 26 extends longitudinally through the outer deck lid panel H and is rigidly secured thereto, being integral in the present instance with a handle element 28 for opening and closing the deck lid B. The slidable housing 27 is provided with a key hole for insertion of a key 29 and is selectively locked against sliding or plunger movement, or unlocked for plunger movement as desired, by operation of the key 29. A coil spring 30 is confined within the cylinder 26 between the latters forward end plate 3!, apertured for passage of the plunger 25, and the forward end of the slidable housing 2'! to urge the latter and connected plunger yieldingly to their limits of rearward movement, i. e. to the right in Figs. 2 and 3. The spring 3!! is readily overcome by finger pressure applied to move the associated plungers 25, 2? to their limits of forward movement, Fig. 3, after the key 29 is turned to unlock the plunger 27 for plunger operation. It will be understood that other suitable lock mechanism to achieve key controlled operation of the plunger 25 may be employed.

Adjacent the lower end of the plate 2|, a depending latch arm or member 32 is pivoted thereto by a flanged pin 33 for swinging about a horizontal transverse axis. The latch member 32 extends through an opening 34 in the body flange l2 and terminates in a generally rearwardly extending keeper engaging portion 35 adapted to swing rearward under the keeper 20 into parallel latching engagement therewith when the lid B is closed, Fig. 2, or to swing forward out of the latching engagement, Fig. 3, so as to clear the keeper 2! when the lid B is opened or closed.

Integral with the arm 32 and extending generally upward from the pivot 33 is a detent engaging arm 36 which terminates forward of a pivotal detent member 3! when the latch arm is in the latching position. The detent member 31 is pivoted on the plate 2| by a transverse pivot pin 38 above the plunger 25. As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the detent member 31 is provided 4 with two generally radial flanges, including a detent flange 33 extending in a detent position transversely across the path of rearward swinging movement of the upper end of the arm 36 and engaging the latter substantially perpendicularly, and also including a plunger engaging flange 49 extending transversely across the path of plunger movement of the plunger 25 Thus upon forward movement of the plunger 25, Fig. 3, the detent member 31 is pivoted clockwise from the detent position, releasing the arm 36 from the detentflange 39. As indicated in Fig. 4, the upper portion of the arm 3'5 is ofiset from the plate 2i sufilciently to clear the detent member 3? and plunger engaging flange 42 upon rearward swinging after release from the detent flange 39. The member 31 is yieldingly urged counterclockwise to the detent position by a torsion spring 4i around the pin 38, one end of the spring 44 being engaged under tension with the forward side of the flange 49 and the other end being engaged with a notched spring retainer 42 lanced from the support 2!. The retainer 42 also serves as a stop for clockwise pivoting of the detent 31'.

Operation of the latch arm 32 to effect automatic locking of the lid B to the body A upon closing the lid is accomplished by a curved operating lever or member 43 pivotally connected to the plate 2! by a transverse pivot pin 44 located above and forward of the pivot 33. The lever 43 extends generally rearward from the pivot 44 and curves downward around the pivot 33, terminating in a keeper engaging projection 43a adapted to engage the upper side of the keeper 2% upon closing the lid 13, Fig. 3, and to be thus swung upward relative to the lid and plate 2| to the retracted or latching position of Fig. 2. The rearward portion of the curved lever 43 is notched at 45 to receive a flanged pivot pin 46 in sliding relation, whereby the lever 43 is pivotally connected to a short rearwardly extending arm 41 integral with the latch member 32. Accordingly as the operating member 43 swings about the pivot 44 to and from the retracted position, the latch member 32 will swing about the pivot 33 to or from the latching position, and conversely.

The members 32 and 43 are yieldingly urged clockwise from their latching and retracted positions respectively by a torsion spring 43 coiled around an enlarged extension 44a of the pivot pin 44, Fig. 5, one end of the spring 48 being pressed against the base flange 22 and the other end being pressed against a transverse flange 49 of the lever 43. Below the lower end of the latch member 32, a transverse flange 58 of the plate 2! serves as a guard or shield for the latch member when the same is in unlatching position and the lid B is open.

The preferred construction and arrangement of parts shown achieves a particularly compact structure and eflicient operation. The pivot 46 is located considerably farther from the pivot 44 than from the pivot 33, so that a small swinging movement of the operating member d3 will effect a comparatively large swinging movement of the latch member 32. Accordingly the keeper engaging portion 35 is readily swung from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of latching engagement with the underside of the keeper 28 upon a comparatively small movement of the member 43a and shortly after the latter engages the upper side of the keeper as. It is to be noted also that 1 the portion 35 swings generally at right angles to the final closing movement, whereas the portion 43a swings generally parallel to this movement. To this end, the pivots 33, 44 and 46 lie substantially in alignment with each other in the preferred embodiment shown and the movement of the pivot 46 is generally tangential tothe axes of both pivots M and 3 3.

Summarizing the operation of unlocking and opening the lid B from the closed position, Fig. 2, the key 29 is first turned to unlock the tumbler housing 2'5 for forward plunger movement. Thereafter, by the application of finger pressure, the plunger 2'! is pushed forward against the tension of the spring 39, thereby moving the plunger 25 forward and detent member 21 clockwise and releasing the detent flange as from the arm 36. The spring 48 urging the members 32 and 43 to their unlatching positions thus causes the lid B to pop open slightly to the position of Fig. 3 upon downward swinging of the latch operating member 43. This action is facilitated by the deck lid Operating springs D, Fig. 1, which swing the lid B open as the latch member 32 clears the keeper 20. Clockwise or downward swinging of the lever 43 is limited by the flanged head of the pivot 33.

Upon closing or" the lid B, the edge 43a of the latch operator first engages the upper edge of the keeper 28, Fig. 3, and is retracted upward thereby relative to the closing lid, causing the latch members keeper engaging portion 35, which T has cleared the forward edge of the keeper 20, to be shifted rearward into latching position below the keeper 20, Fig. 2. In this action, the upper end of the detent engaging arm 36, upon returning to its forward position, momentarily flips the detent flange 3S upward and is then retained by the latter against unlatching movement.

I claim:

1. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position with respect to a keeper, a latch member pivoted on said support to swing to and from a latching position and having a portion engageable at said position with said keeper when the support is in closed position, detent means for releasably holding said latch member at said latching position, means for actuating said detent means, a reciprocable operating member mounted on said support and shiftable in one direction with respect to said support to cause a part thereof to engage said latch member and swing the same out of latching position upon actuation of said detent means to release said latch member, said operating member having a second part adapted to engage said keeper to swing said latch member into latching position upon movement of said support to closed position, and resilient means yieldingly urging said operating member in the direction of the keeper.

2. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position with respect to a keeper, a latch member pivoted on said support to swing to and from a latching position and having a portion engageable at said position with said keeper when the support is in closed position, detent means for releasably holding said latch member at said latching position, means for actuating said detent means, a reciprocable operating member mounted on said support and shiftable in one direction with respect to said support to cause a part thereof to engage a part of said latch member and swing the same out of latching position upon actuation of said detent means to release said latch member, said parts comprising a pin on one of said members slidably engaged within a slot in the other member, said operating member having a secondpart adapted to engage said keeper to swing said latch member intolatching position upon movement of said support 3. In a latch mechanism for a support movable ,to and from a closed position with respect to a keeper, a latch member pivoted on said support to swing to and from a latching position and having a keeper engaging portion engageable at the latching position with said keeper when the support is at the closed position, an operating member shiftably mounted on said support and having an element in sliding engagement with an element oi said latch member to swing the latter from the latching position upon predetermined shifting of said operating member, said operating member also having a portion adapted to. abut said keeper to block said shifting when the support is at the closed position, resilient means yieldingly urging said shifting, and detent means for releasably holding said latch member at the latching position.

4. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position with respect to a keeper, a latch member pivoted on said support to swing to and from a latching position and having a radial arm extending transversely to the direction of closing movement, said latch member also having a second radial arm extending substantially perpendicularly to said first arm and adapted at said latching position to engage said keeper when the support is in closed position, detent means for releasably holding said latch member at said latching position, means for actuating said detent means, a reciprocable operating member mounted on said support and having a portion connected with said first arm to swing the latter, said operating member being shiftable in one direction with respect to said support to cause said latch member to swing out of latching position upon actuation of said detent means to release said latch member, said operating member having a second part adapted to engage said keeper to swing said latch member into latching position upon movement of said support to closed position, and resilient. means yieldingly urging said operating member in the direction of the keeper.

5. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position with respect to a keeper, a latch member pivoted on said support and having a keeper engaging portion pivotal transversely of the direction of closing movement to and from a latching position, said portion being engageable at said latching position with said keeper when the support is in closed position, detent means for releasably holding said latch member at said latching position, means for actuating said detent means, a reciprocable operating member mounted on said support and shiftable in one direction with respect to said support to cause a part thereof to engage a part of said latch member to swing the same out of latching position when said detent means is actuated to release said latch member, said parts comprising a pin extending from one of said members and slidable within a slot in the other member, resilient means yieldingly urging said operating member in said one direction, said operating member having a second part adapted to engage said keeper to swing said latch member into latching position upon movement of said support to closed position, said keeper engaging portion and said second part being located to engage said keeper in Opposition to each other when the support is in closed position.

6. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position with respect to a keeper, a latch member pivoted on said support and having a keeper engaging portion arranged to swing transversely of the direction of closing movement to and from a latching position, said portion being engageable at said position with said keeper when the support is in closed position, detent means for releasably holding said latch member at said latching position, means for actuating said detent means, a reciprocable operating member pivoted on the support at a location spaced from the pivot axis of said latch member and having a part in sliding engagement with a part of said latch member to swing the latter, said operating member being shiftable in one direction with respect to said support to cause said latch member to swing out of latching position upon actuation of said detent means to release said latch member, resilient means yieldingly urging said operating member in said one direction, said operating member having a second part adapted to engage said keeper to swing said latch member into latching position upon movement of said support to closed position, said keeper engaging portion and said a second part being located to engage said keeper in opposition to each other when the support is in closed position.

'7. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position, a latch member pivoted on the support and having a keeper engaging portion extending substantially in the direction of closing movement, detent means for releasably holding said latch member in latching position, means for actuating said detent means, an operating member pivoted on the support at a location spaced from the pivot axis of said latch member and having a projection adapted to engage a keeper to be shifted thereby with respect to said support oppositely to said direction upon movement of the support to the closed position, resilient means yieldingly urging said operating member toward said keeper with respect to said support, a pin on one of said members slidably engageable within a slot in the other member to swing said latch member from latching position upon swinging of said projection in said direction when said detent means is actuated to release said latch member, the radial distance from the pivot axis of said latch member to said pin being less than the radial distance from said axis to said keeper engaging portion, said keeper engaging portion at the latching position being adapted to engage said keeper in opposition to said operating member when the support is at the closed position.

8. In a latch mechanism for a support movable to and from a closed position, a latch member pivoted on the support, said latch member having a radial part extending transversely of the direction of closing movement and also having a keeper engaging portion on a radial portion extending substantially normally to the first named part, thereby to swing transversely of said direction, an operating member pivoted on said member at a location spaced from the pivot axis of said latch member and havinga radial part extending transversely of said direction and connected to said first named part to swing said latch member from a latching position upon swinging of said operating member in said direction, detent means for releasably holding said latch member at the latching position, means for actuating said detent means, said operating member having a second part adapted to engage said keeper to swing said latch member into latching position upon movement or" said support to closed position, said keeper engaging portion and said second part being adapted to engage said keeper in opposition to each other when the support is in closed position, resilient means operatively connecting said operating member and support to urge said second part toward said keeper, the distance between said pivot axis of said latch member and the connection between the parts of said members being less than the distance between said axis and said keeper engaging portion. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,372,000 Anderson Mar. 22, 1921 2,267,397 Dall Dec. 23, 1941 2,446,934 Krause Aug. 10, 1948 2,569,045 Endter Sept. 25, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 610,696 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1948 

